~ Researching Russell Co, Kentucky

Advent Calendar – Christmas Cards

When I was growing up, we lived quite a distance from all of our family. All of my parents’ immediate family lived in Indiana, while we lived in various towns in Minnesota, Indiana and Texas. Because my parents each had a larger than “normal” number of siblings, we received a good number of Christmas Cards. Those cards became a decoration around doorways. Each card would be taped to the frame of the door leading into the kitchen creating a festive border of whimsical characters mixed with peaceful images of the very first Christmas.

I always thought we received a lot of cards until I went to visit my future in-law’s house for the very first time. They had a double set of accordion doors that were solidly “wallpapered” with cards and letters from dozens and dozens of friends and family all over the county. These people did not just send cards, they sent newsletters giving updates of events that had happened throughout the year as well as family pictures to show how much everyone had grown in that year.

I thought that my husband and I would CERTAINLY go the newsletter route when we got married, but it seemed like we never had the time to write a letter and were lucky to send cards at all! We do, however, continue the tradition of taping the cards we receive around the door frame to our kitchen. In this electronic age, the number of cards we receive each year seems to dwindle. As I’ve been focusing on collecting these family memories for this Advent Calendar, I’m saddened to think that this comforting tradition may be slowing fading away.